Boom-Bust-Recovery:
Documenting the 1920’s and 30’s
Introduction:
The Twenties and Thirties were a dynamic period of boom and bust in American history. In the 1920s, Americans were discovering a
new consumer culture. Our country was enjoying unprecedented prosperity and economic growth and undergoing social
experimentation. By the 1930s, an overwhelming portion of our population learned about poverty in a very personal way. Over
these years, the elusive American Dream appeared almost within reach, vanished from the hands of many, and experienced a
variety of reinterpretations.
The Scene:
Welcome young curators! Springfield Township is pleased to announce a new museum to open this year— here in lovely downtown
Erdenheim! You have the opportunity to create a Smithsonian-like exhibit focusing on your area of historical specialty - the 1920s
and 1930s. Museum director Ashley Fusarelli is very particular about historical accuracy and aesthetics. Your exhibit must
authentically represent the period to museum visitors. Using artifacts, news stories, and images, it must creatively draw the
attention of all museum-goers! It must also engage them; therefore, you must create a dynamic presentation that captures the
attention of viewers while educating them on your specific topic.
The Exhibit:
Your exhibit should be in the form of a tri-fold board or display stand that is both appealing to the eye, catches your audience's
attention, and educates museum visitors in an informative way. Additionally, your museum exhibit must contain an interactive
element that allows the viewer to interact with your display. Beyond these requirements, you are free to create as you wish. Please
include the following somewhere in your final product:
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Authentic and relevant historic photographs. These must come from accredited sources online and in print. A good place
to start is AP Photo Archive.You may also try the Library of Congress Photo Stream on Flickr, and Copyright-friendly images
and sound. Much more is also available on our Decades Pathfinder.
News clippings. Two good sources for these are ProQuest Historical Newspapers and Time Magazine Archive.
Artifacts. These might include: posters, drawings, political cartoons, representations of clothing/fashion, buttons, graphs, a
speech, legislation, advertisements, etc.
Interactive Content. Let your creativity shine through! In the past, students have used various techniques to make their
exhibits accessible to their audience on a personal level. We'll discuss the various options that you have in class.
Label and cite (correctly) every artifact, photograph, and document AND annotate each. Sample below:
Title of Picture, Artifact, Article
(This should match the title in your works cited page)
Date
(If no date use: c.1920s, c.1930s)
2-5 sentences summarizing who or what the image/article/artifact is and its relevance to your topic and the display. This label functions as a description
for those who did not do the research on this topic you did. What would a viewer need and want to know to understand your display. This info comes from
your research and will be documented in the works consulted page.
<www.address.org> or Book Title
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If asked, you should be able to present museum director Fusarelli with a rationale for the inclusion of every artifact and
image in your exhibit. Make sure every item you select presents a message in a meaningful way.
On the day of the museum, students will dress either relevant to topic or in business attire.
Interactive elements are genuine and not a gimmick. No food related elements without prior approval.
Grading Criteria:
Projects are evaluated on the basis of historical accuracy, evidence of preparation and creativity, and overall appearance. Note that
sources are due on the day the project is presented and are part of the grading process. Post your sources in the appropriate place
on the wiki. See the attached rubric for specifics.
The Process:
Library Research Day 1: Use at least one book source and one internet source from the “Doing the Decades” collection to collect
background information on your chosen topic. Type a detailed explanation (1-3 paragraphs) that summarizes the information and
ideas you will need to portray in your display. This should include basic information like who or what the topic is about, when and
where it was prominent, and why it is significant enough to be displayed. Formulate and propose a display theme - how will you
present your display and what interactive elements you can include. Cite your book and internet sources on the same page.
Library Research Day 2: Begin to use copyright-friendly image generators (AP Photo Archive, Wikimedia commons), to gather news,
photos, and artifacts about your topic. Do not forget to document sources as you go. You should “inventory” each as you go along,
so you track which requirements you are meeting. I will collect a copy of this inventory, with citations, at the end of the day. Be
sure to save it so you can add to it with each library visit! Remember, you need 10 Historic Photos, 5 News Clippings, and 5 Artifacts!
Library Research Day 3: Continue above…again, I will collect your expanded inventory list at the end of the day.
Library Research Day 4: You should have collected all of your images at this point. Today should be used typing your labels for
each. Include a citation, date, and annotation. If you did this as you completed your research, you should work on your interactive
activity. (Suggestions: Crossword, comprehensive writing prompt, true-false questions, guided note-taking, timeline or scavenger
hunt to be completed by viewing your display, and listening to your presentation, google doc survey/quiz, etc)
Library Research Day 5: The library has been reserved but may not need to be used a 5 th day.
Resources:
Textbooks: A History of the US, The Americans, American Nation, America-Pathways
Library Books: Biography Section, Reference Section, Art Section, History (970’s) Section
Online Lessons: Ms Fusarelli’s 20s and 30s Museum Resource Link (25+ educational links)!
Catalogs and Databases: ProQuest Historical Newspapers, Student Resource Center Gold, Literature Resource Center, Biography
Resource Center, ABC-CLIO American History, AP Photo Archive, Beyond Books, Curriculum Resource Center, Wikimedia Commons
STHS MLA Citation Guide & Noodletools
20’s and 30’s Project Topic List:
 The Communist Threat: Red Scare / Palmer Raids / Sacco & Vanzetti
 Nativism / Immigration Quotas / the New KKK
 The Red Summer: Race Relations Following World War I
 Politics: Presidential Administrations and Scandals
 A Modern Woman: Flappers / the 19th Amendment / Criticism
 African American Advancement: Harlem Renaissance / Marcus Garvey / UNIA & NAACP
 Entertainment: Vaudeville, Hollywood, Fads & Amusements
 The Jazz Age: It's History and Impact on the Cultural Landscape & its influence on multiple art forms
 Art & Architecture: Growth and the Elements of Design
 Sports Celebs / 1920s Heroes / Their Impact on Society
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Charles Lindbergh / The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping
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Amelia Earhart / Accomplishments and Tragedy
 Prohibition and the Rise of Organized Crime
 The Lost Generation
 Fundamentalism: The Teaching of Evolution/The Scopes Trial and the Rural-Urban Divide
 Technological Advancement: New Household Appliances and Their Impact on Society
 Henry Ford / New Production Methods, the Model T, and Its Impact on American Life
 The Growth and Use of Advertising and Marketing
 The Birth, Growth, and Impact of Radio
 The Stock Market Crash: Factors Behind the Economic Boom and Bust
 Depression Life: Hoovervilles / Homelessness / Impact on the American Family
 Rural America: Farmers, Migrant Workers, and the Dust Bowl
 Minorities and the Depression / The Scottsboro Boys
 FDR, the New Deal(s), and Its Critics
1920s and 1930s Museum Display Rubric
Category
Use of Class
Time
x1
Ten(10)
Nine(9)
Eight (8)
Seven(7)
Incomplete(0-6)
Utilized all library time
effectively. Sought
teacher and librarian
help. Focused on
getting the project
done. Never distracted
others.
Used time well during
each class period.
Usually focused on
getting the project
done and never
distracted others.
Used some of the time
well during each class.
Usually focused on
getting the project
done but occasionally
distracted others.
There was some focus
on getting the project
done during class time.
Often distracted others
or used computers for
other purposes.
Little class time was
spent on working on
the project. Much time
was spent conversing
with others, playing
with the computers, or
as a distraction.
The display is
attractive and wellorganized. The items
are neatly secured and
attached to the
display. Title
describes the content
and can be read from
6 ft. away.
The display is
somewhat organized
yet attractive. The
items are securely
attached to the display.
Title describes the
content and can be
read from 3 ft. away.
The display is not
organized or the items
are not securely
attached to the display.
The title is too small
and/or does not
describe the content of
the display well.
Display appears to have
been thrown together
at the last minute. Little
creative effort has been
used to draw attention
to content.
Interactive
presentation is clever
and engaging to
audience. Student
effectively used
presentation to
creatively convey
complete knowledge
and deep
understanding of the
topic and time period.
Interactive
presentation is
thoughtful and
demands some
attention. Student
presentation conveys
proficient knowledge
and understanding of
the topic and time
period.
Interactive
presentation is
included but maintains
minimal interactivity
with audience.
Presentation conveys
adequate knowledge
and understanding of
the topic and time
period.
Interactive
presentation is
included but fails to
engage the audience in
a meaningful way.
Presentation conveys
only basic knowledge
and understanding of
the topic and time
period.
Presentation is
completely irrelevant
to the subject matter
and fails to engage the
audience. Presentation
shows little knowledge
or understanding of the
topic and the time
period.
The display meets or
exceeds all
requirements. Artifacts,
documents, and
photographs
demonstrate a strong
research effort.
The display meets all
requirements.
Artifacts, documents,
and photographs
demonstrate a good
research effort.
The display meets
most requirements.
Artifacts, documents,
and photographs
demonstrate an
adequate effort.
The exhibit is missing
several required
elements. Artifacts,
documents, and
photographs
demonstrate minimal
research effort.
Little effort was made
to include required
elements. Artifacts,
documents, and
photographs are
missing or demonstrate
no research effort
Each item has a neat
label and annotation
describing the
significance (time, date,
description) of the item.
Each item has a label
and annotation
describing the
significance (time
date, description) of
the item.
All items are labeled
but fail to give a
complete annotated
description of their
significance.
Not all items are
labeled or not all items
have an annotated
description of their
significance.
Little or no attempt was
made to label or
include annotated
descriptions.
There are no
grammatical errors on
the display or in the
presentation.
There are one or two
grammatical errors on
the display or in the
presentation.
There are three to five
grammatical errors on
the display or in the
presentation.
There are six to eight
grammatical errors on
the display or in the
presentation.
There are more than
eight grammatical
errors on the display or
in the presentation.
All borrowed graphics,
photographs, artifacts,
documents, and
information are
correctly listed on a
Works page. All works
are from a credible
source.
Borrowed graphics,
photographs, artifacts,
documents, and
information are listed
on a Works page with
slight errors. Most
works are from a
credible source.
Borrowed graphics,
photographs, artifacts,
documents, and
information are listed
on a Works page with
several errors. Only
some works are from a
credible source.
Borrowed graphics,
photographs, artifacts,
documents, and
information are listed
on a Works page with
numerous errors. Few
works are from a
credible source.
Works page does not
include all items OR
student fails to
adequately utilize
credible sources for
information.
The display is
attractive, wellorganized, and
Physical Display
commands attention.
The items are neatly
secured and attached to
x1
the display. Title is
creative and can be
read from 6 ft. away.
Presentation
(Knowledge +
Interactivity)
x3
Required
Elements
x2
Labels
x1
Grammar
x1
Documentation
x1
No Works page = “0”